All That's Known
by SuchStuffasDreamsareMadeOn
Summary: All good wizards will rely on what they know. But what if their knowledge isn't true? James and Sirius let the fame of Quidditch get to their heads and foreget what truly matters to them. Knowledge is power, but what is it that we truly think?
1. Fortune

"Prongs…Prongs…oh come on you lazy git, get up!"

The unmistakable moan of exhaustion filled the bedroom of the 7th year Gryffindor boys. James Potter aimed a weary kick at his best friend Sirius Black who he found at that moment was jumping up and down on his bed…while he was still in it. His next attempt at blissful night's sleep was to roll over and bring his blanket over his head so to block out the annoying alarm that was ringing in his ears. This alarm however had no snooze button. "Prongs!"

"Bloody hell, Padfoot!" he finally exclaimed as he shoved the boy off his bed. He pushed his long hair out of his face and reached for his wide rimmed glasses on the table next to him. With sight restored, he was able to read his watch on the table. "Geez, Padfoot. It's 2 in the morning! What could you possibly yelling for and waking me up at this hour? We have that huge match against Hufflepuff tomorrow!"

Sirius rolled once on the floor before jumping right back up to his feet in an energetic stance. "Mate, it's Hufflepuff, but that not the point. Moony's in the Common Room talking to Evans!" he let out in a single breath.

James stopped his feeble attempt of hitting Padfoot as the words registered in his foggy head. He then took a few more seconds of silence as he mulled what he heard over. "Moony, Evans. Together? Talking? At night?"

"There we go, use your complete sentences. Atta boy." Sirius chuckled to himself as he lit his wand under his breath. "So are we gonna spy or what now?" James jumped out of bed and reached for his own wand next to his watch on the table at the thought. Mooney, his other best friend with Evans, the love of his existence. "You're sure they're just talking right?"

"No I'm pretty sure they were snogging each other to the point of hyperventilation. Now move it."

James grabbed his robe from his trunk careful not to wake any other roommates. "You must be serious because I know you wouldn't be joking or fooling about someone so close and dear to my heart."

"Aww, I've got to tell Moony how you really feel." James rolled his eyes in the dark and ran after Sirius to the bedroom door when it opened by itself and none other than Remus Lupin walked through it to a unexpected scene. "Umm…morning there, mates. Where are you going?"

James, who had his wand between his teeth, was stuck in the act of getting his arm through a robe sleeve when the sudden presence of his friend surprised him. Sirius on the other hand was frozen in the act of holding his lit wand inches from Remus' nose. Both however shared the dumbfounded look of guiltiness on their face.

"Toilet," Sirius answered a little too quickly, lowering his wand.

"Together?"

James and Sirius exchanged a slow glance.

"Well, I mean, you never know…"

Remus looked as if he was about to push forward but the late hour and pure reason stopped him as he shook his head. "Well, good night then. Enjoy."

* * *

"And that, my friends, is how you become a star."

Sirius laughed as he took his seat next to James at the Gryffindor table and welcomes the large slab of steak in front of him. Remus, across the table, just rolled his eyes.

Moments ago, the Gryffindor Quidditch team slaughtered the Hufflepuffs in the House Cup Semi-Finals. James and Sirius were practically carried to their current seats from the pitch by their screaming and adoring fans. The fans however stuck around to get the full details of Sirius' almost fatal Bludger dodge and ask James just exactly what he was thinking when he flew around the Hufflepuff seeker to catch the very low flying Snitch before heroically falling off his broom for the sake of his catch. Remus had to push and shove his way through just to get through to his normal seat across the table. James knew they were really soaking up the attention but they had won an amazing game, shouldn't they get some credit? Besides, this now meant that they were going to play Slytherin in the House Cup Finals in a few days. He couldn't even imagine what the House reaction would be when they won that match.

"Hi James," a fifth year girl said as she squeezed herself on the bench next to him. "Can I have your autograph?" James flicked his head towards her in one smooth motion and flashed to her his famous smile, which instantly ensured a wave of giggles. He happily signed her napkin then turned back impressively to his friends. "I think I'm going to be sick," Remus said as he slouched in his seat.

"Oh lighten up, Moony," Sirius said as he slung an arm around James' shoulder. "Quidditch isn't all about flying and winning. Do you see what we do for these people? We inspire Gryffindor pride in all their hearts. It's our duty. We're heroes!"

Remus looked at him for a second then said, "That girl was from Hufflepuff."

James and Sirius scrunched their faces for a moment of contemplation. "We'll that's odd. Ah well, I'm not complaining." And with that, James dug his knife into his well earned steak.

The crowd soon became hungry and bored so it was only a matter of minutes before they dispersed. James dropped his fork as he saw Lily at the other end of the table and then he remembered something…

"Hey Moony, were you talking to Evans last night?"  
Remus swallowed his mashed potatoes and looked up. "Hey, has anyone seen Wormtail?"

"Wait, did you hear—"

"It's not like him to miss a meal."

"You can't answer a question with another—"

"Now that you mention it," Sirius chipped in with a mouth full of meat. "You could have been trampled by the crowd when we weren't looking."

"That's what I was thinking."  
"Well, now you're just completely trying to put aside what I said. Moony, are you hiding something?"

Remus laughed and turned his attention back to James. "Yes, Prongs, I'm harboring a huge secret from you lot. I'll give you a hint, it's furry and you can pet it though I don't recommend it."

"Hardy har, you know what I mean." The three began to clear their plates and get up from the table before the House could take notice of them again. Hey, you don't want to be attacked by adoring fans all the time right? Sirius thought. "You know, I'm still fascinated by the fact that you're still avoiding my question!"

Remus laughed again as they made their way out of the hall. "We were just talking, James. You know you should really try that with her sometime. Were you spying?"

"Talking, eh? So late at night?"  
"Oh so you were spying. And yes believe it or not people can do other things at night, including talking."  
Sirius just stood there between the two smiling to himself. Oh, this was going to get interesting.

James scuffed his foot against the floor and looked back up. "So…what were you talking about?"

"You."

"Really?"

"No."

Sirius burst out laughing , wishing more than anything that he had a bag of popcorn with him to enjoy it more.

"Oh, shut it. Both of you."

Remus smiled again and said, "Well, if I shut it then I can't tell you what we were talking about."

"Oh, well then in that case…"

"Shh…," Remus suddenly put his hand up to stop them. "Oh, come on!" James yelled.

"SHH!" Remus' head perked up. Sirius stopped laughing and listened. Down at the end of the hall they were walking towards was the faint sound of voices. Sirius looked back at Remus.

"I think that's Wormtail," he said. James and Sirius looked at each other again then automatically began to run down the hallway, Remus in tow. The voices grew louder and more familiar as they reached a slightly opened door at the end of the hall. Sirius didn't bother to listen to what the voices were saying but instead walking right through the door.

Every face turned and silenced as he entered the room so Sirius had a moment to take the scene in. On one side of the room stood Avery, Wilkes, Lestrange, Bellatrix Black, and of course Snape. Standing as small and cowardly on the other side of the room was their own Peter Pettigrew. Peter looked terrified but for some reason, the appearance of his three best friends didn't seem to put him at any more ease.

"What are you lot doing here?" James said from behind as he walked next to Sirius. Remus stayed where he was in the doorway in case things got out of hand. He would have the easiest means of getting help.

"No business of yours," Avery spat out at them. "Well it is our business if you're dragging Peter into it. It'd be in your best interest to leave him alone," Sirius said, not breaking eye contact with Avery. At that last remark though, Avery broke the gaze to give Peter another look. Peter just turned to his feet and trembled slightly.

"Anything else we can do for you, cuz?" Bellatrix hissed with a growing smirk on her face.

Sirius felt James put a hand on his arm as he took a step forward. He glared at her once more before getting out, "Come on Wormtail. Let's go."

Peter hesitated for a second then quickly scurried after them as he saw them turn to leave, without or without him. It was only when they were clear of the room, down the hallway, and another floor up when Remus finally asked, "What happened, Wormtail?"

Sirius and James stopped walking and turned to face their small friend who was still staring at the ground. He looked up at the mention of his name and began to stutter. "I…was just…w-walking…t-to the bathroom after the match…and they st-started t-to tease me and t-tried to hex me. I ran int-to the classroom to hide but…umm…it didn't work. T-thanks, guys."

Sirius felt his fist tightened but slowly released it. It was over now. He turned to James who had his head in his hands. He said, "Geez, Wormtail. You can really be an idiot sometimes. We have to get you a backbone before we send you off into the real world. Now come on, I'm not going to let this damper my day. I'm sure there will be a party waiting for us back in the Common Room."

Peter looked down again and muttered, "I think I'll go to bed."

"Bed?" Remus looked over in confusion. "Peter, it's 7 o clock—"

"—Good night." And with that, Peter ran ahead to the Fat Lady and disappeared inside. The three left looked at each other for a moment in silence. James was the first to take the initiative to follow and as soon as he did, a loud roar escaped from the passage and the party began.


	2. Friends

"Jaaaaaaaaaaaames."

"Sirius, I will murder you."

"It's Moony and Evans though. They're talking again."

And with that James ignored the de va ju he was feeling while he and Sirius scrambled out of the room and tiptoed down the staircase. The thought that the big Gryffindor/Slytherin game was a mere few hours escaped his mind. Some things were just more important than Quidditch.

The door to the Common Room was left slightly open for their luck and when James put his eye against it, he could see Remus and Lily sitting on couches only a few yards away. Separate Couches. Thank Merlin.

James pushed his head a little closer to the crack trying to make out what the conversation was about. He ignored the shove Sirius gave him for hogging and heard Lily say, "I just don't get it."

Remus just sat there and listened. "Most people don't."

Lily got up and walked over to the fireplace. She seemed to be staring into it for a long time before she said, "Why does he have to have such a big head?"

James perked up at this remark as if she had called him by name. That basically was the only name she really had for him. He looked over at Sirius and gave a goofy smile. They _were_ talking about him!

"If we could change people, the world would be a much different place," Remus said as he looked towards the fire. "But there's more to him than you see. There's the James that the school knows him as and then the James the Marauders know. Take our view sometime, you might be surprised."

Lily sighed. She leaned her elbow against the mantel of the fireplace and rested her head in her hand. "Trust me," she said. "The only reason we're having this conversation is because for the first time in 6 years, I've seen your version of him. Only a glimpse but it was there. But if he wants to be what everyone thinks he is, around me then I don't see this going far."

Going far? James looked over at Sirius who was still peeking through the crack. What's going where? Something's even going?

"Ugh!" Lily let out a frustrated groan then fell back to the couch. "How is it that he annoys the very life out of me but…but…"

But? BUT WHAT?

"You know," Remus said. "Not that I mind it, but isn't girls talking about guys sort of a…girl thing?"

Lily laughed and with that laugh James thought he would melt right there in the uncomfortable squatting position he was in. Can a laugh sound like a bell?

"Sorry, Remus, I promise I won't ask you to braid my hair. You're probably just the only person I can talk to. You know the real him and if I even mentioned his name anywhere in the girls dorm I wouldn't get the thought out before I became hearing impaired by the screaming. And that's what bothers me the most! Everyone talks as if they know him as well as you do. He's a bloody idol to Gryffindor! The only thing people really know is that he can catch a ball on a broom and he's hot! People don't actually _know_ him, they just think they do. If I had a galleon for every time someone said, 'I know he likes this' or 'I definitely heard he's into that'. It's just ridiculous!"

"Okay, Lily, you're getting yourself worked up again. Let's call it a night. The games tomorrow and the guys will suspicious if I look exhausted well before a full moon is expected."

Lily sighed again. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks Remus, you're such a help. I just…he likes me but I'm starting to wonder what he likes about me. I only am talking right now cause I got to see the side of the real him. What does he really know about me? He's probably annoying the hell out of me because he thinks I'm pretty. I just don't know what to expect or if I can even trust him."

Remus paused for a second and James could almost see the wheels turning in his head. Then he said, "My last advice for you tonight is to not over think it. No offense but girls do that too much. And guys don't. Let's just see what happens okay? I'll help you reach the real him under that big head of his and then you can just play it out. Don't try to plan anything now. And as for your last thought, that is something you never need to worry about. James can be a show off sometimes and I would be lying if I said he didn't love the attention. And yes at times he can be…conceited."

Moony, mate! Who's side are you on? James felt a kick to the side from Sirius and didn't even realize that he was moving forward again. He silenced his groan, gave Sirius a kick in return, and listened.

"But he is one of the three people in this world that I completely trust with my life. And have actually done on countless occasions. Not many people would stick around with a werewolf for so long. He's loyal towards the people he cares about and will do almost anything for them. You don't find those qualities too often in the world today."

Lily smiled and looked back up when Remus finished. James sat there dumbstruck for a second.

"Thanks Remus," she said as she stood up. "You're the best." Remus smiled and got up to hug her. James fidgeted a little but kept quiet. When they stepped away, Lily leaned forward a kiss on Remus' forehead, right where his hairline began.

James gasped. They must not have heard it but Sirius did. The next thing he knows he's being pulled away from the door forcefully as he sees Remus approaching it. That little sneak!  
Before he knew it, Sirius had dragged him back to the dormitory even in his state of shock. It finally took him a minute to realize Sirius was talking to him, or talking at him. "Relax, mate. It was an innocent kiss. She did it, not him. There're just friends." And so on. James knew this of course. Remus would never do that to him, but he got a kiss from Lily before James had!

"Mate, I'm not putting you into bed so you better get off the floor before Moony comes in. Plus the biggest game of our lives is tomorrow so please don't think about this."

James still had taffy for brains but he was still pretty tired. He listened to Remus close the door and the spring on his mattress squeak. James wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not but he swore he heard Remus let out a small laugh.

* * *

"Hey guys?"

Remus looked up from his bowl to see a very sweaty Peter roll a napkin through his fist. Hmmm…Remus thought. Peter's usually not nervous this early in the morning. This must be serious.

"What is it, Pete?" James said through a mouthful of cornflakes. "And make it fast, me and Sirius have to get going soon. The match is gonna start."

"Well, that the thing…" Peter barely got out. "The other day…those Slytherins…they weren't teasing me…well at first they weren't…but…they caused me trouble cause I overheard them talking…"

Remus stopped eating, mouth open and spoon in midair. Out of the corner of his eye he saw James and Sirius stop as they were about to get out of their seats. The two looked at each other then sat down again. "Okay, Wormtail," Sirius said as he folded his hands mob-style. "You have our attention. But quit beating around the bush and spit it out. We have to be in the locker room in five minutes."

"But that's just it!" Peter squeaked. Even after puberty, Remus was still amazed by how high his voice went sometimes. "I overheard the Slytherins say that before the game they were going to set off 20 Timed Dungbombs in the Gryffindor locker room right before the match. They wanted to throw you guys off before the game."

"Jesus, Wormtail!" James exclaimed as Sirius bit back a curse. "And you just wait to tell us this now? As we're walking to the locker rooms? Come on, Pads, we got to go tell Madame Hootch before those bombs explode." Leaving their dishes behind, both boys got up and ran out of the Great Hall.

"I…I…didn't…"

Remus sighed. He knew Peter didn't take it well when the boy he idol worshiped yelled at him for being stupid. "Wormtail, why did you wait til now?"  
Peter turned his wide, stunned eyes at his last friend at the table. "I didn't have a choice. I didn't know what to do!"

"Peter, you always have a choice and the answer should have been obvious. Think about all of the times James and Sirius had your back, including this very incident. The least you could do is tip them off about this sooner. You know what you should have done."

"B-but…b-but…they threatened me! They told me i-if I told, th-they would…" Peter didn't even finish the thought as his eyes started to tear up. Remus was about to say more but the look on Peter's face told him that he was really thinking about what Remus had said already. Remus rolled his eyes. Great, now he felt guilty.

"Come on, Pete. Finish up your lunch and then we'll go get seats to the game. Prongs and Padfoot will forget all about it once they cream Slytherin. They'll be too busy partying to remember."

Peter looked up again. "What if they don't win?"

"Then you're screwed."

Peter let out a wimper.

Remus sighed again. He wasn't as good at keeping Peter under control as James was, or even Sirius. Just a look from either of them and Peter would shut right up. Remus, on the other hand, wasn't that threatening.

"Come on, Pete. The important thing is that you told them and that's loyalty right there. Grant it, your timing might not have been perfect but nevertheless you had the courage to tell them. And if those gits try anything on you, you know we'll have your back."

Suddenly a huge grin began to grow across Peter's face.

"Thanks, Moony."

Oh geez, now he's getting sappy. They spent the rest of their lunch talking about the match as more and more people joined the table wearing bright red and gold. Remus tried to get a glimpse of the Slytherin table, which was an emerald sea of green, but couldn't find the same people from the other day.

Finally, the two Marauders moved with the mob towards the Entrance Hall. They met up with some other Gryffindor students who were all eagerly talking about the game while they waited for the traffic to move. If Gryffindor won, they would be House Champions for the first time in 5 years. Remus felt his nerves shake just talking about it when something out of the corner of his eye made them shake even more…

Over in the very corner of the Hall, the door to the Dungeon was wide open. Disappearing into that door was Bellatrix Black. "Hey Wormtail," Remus said as he nudged the boy's shoulder. Without waiting for a response, Remus went by his instincts and pushed his way through the crowd to the door. He looked inside and saw the empty, dark hallway before him. A few meters in though, he heard the low sound of voices.

"Moony!" came the squeal behind him.

Remus didn't even look back in response. Instead he took a step through the doorway when a small but sturdy hand gripped his arm and pulled him back. "Moony! This is what happened last time!"

"Well then don't come if you don't want to. Keep watch." And with that Remus disappeared through the entrance. Behind him he could hear Peter moan but he knew he was going to follow. Peter never liked being left behind and their talk earlier might have gotten to him.

Remus took each step like he was walking on ice even the hard stone floor told him otherwise. It was a pretty cold day even though it was late in the season so Remus wasn't surprised when he felt a small shiver run up his spine. He turned and put his finger to his lips when he heard a whimpering Wormtail come up behind him. Remus pressed himself against the wall and moved down it until it ended and the path turned right into one of the dungeon's tunnels. He was about 10 meters from the door and once the noise from the outside faded, he could hear the voices clearer.

"…you bloody idiot, what'd you expect?" A voice said. Remus made it out to be Avery.

Then a second voice responded. "I expected it to go down without a flaw, that's what." Lestrange, no doubt. They must have been talking about the Dungbombs. That means James and Sirius got there in time.

"Oh just untwist your knickers there, mate." Avery. "There was a bloody complication. Things still went accordingly. By this time in an hour, the whole Gryffindor team will be in the Hospital Wing. Potter and Black may even be worse. Now all we have to do is watch and enjoy."

Remus felt his heart catch in his throat. He had to tell someone. But what would he tell? Peter for once was being absolutely quiet and when Remus turned to make sure he was still there, he wore a petrified look on his face.

"Our jobs not over yet, boy," Bellatrix. Some people claimed to have evil cousins in stories and whatnot. Sirius actually had one. "We still got a glitch. And as soon as those players fall we have to dewitch the balls from the stands before that crazy old bat can get to them. They should make a big enough distraction before that time though. Rodolphus, sweetie, you've been practicing right."

The sounds Remus heard after were one's he wanted to permanently block from his memory for as long as he lived. It sounded like the Giant Squid was trying to unclog a toilet.

"My God, spare me" Snape's voice echoed down the hall. "What have I said about snogging like that in front of us? Absolutely repulsive. I may hurl."

With one final _puh _Bellatrix came up for breath and said, "Don't be so cranky Severus. Just because little Miss Evans doesn't want to do this with you…"

There was much movement after this comment, but Remus stopped listening and started thinking. "Peter," he whispered at a level he almost couldn't hear. The rustling and action behind them helped though. "They've bewitched the balls. James and Sirius are gonna get hurt. You got to go tell Madame Hootch before the match starts."

"What about you?" Peter said, his voice not as soft or low pitch as Remus'.

"I'll be right behind. I'm gonna see what else I can figure out. Go, now, hurry!"

And with that Peter tiptoed out the dungeon door then ran down the Entrance Hall like hell. Remus almost smiled to himself until he remembered what he said he was going to do. He turned back around to listen more when he came face to face with Avery.  
"Wow, Potter and Black actually have spies now. I didn't know they were so crafty." Remus froze unresponsive as the rest of the crew appeared behind Avery. Remus took a step back and made a try to run but before he could, the front of his robes were violently grabbed and he found himself on the ground. Another pair of hands grabbed the other side and Remus felt himself being dragged back into the dark dungeon and hidden from view behind the corner.


	3. Fight

Peter ran. He didn't think he could at first but then he decided that thinking wasn't the best motivation at the time. The balls were charmed. James and Sirius would get hurt. Why was this happening?

Peter cleared his mind after these thoughts too soon to remember where he was going. He almost landed in the stands when he remembered Madame Hootch. He didn't know how to get there. She had to be in the locker room right?

Peter could hear the screaming fans as soon as he entered the pitch area. He saw the red opening from the Gryffindor locker room as the team started coming out. He kept running even though the pain in his lungs told him not too. Near the front, he could see James and Sirius leading the team out. To their right was Madame Hootch with the ball case.

"Madame Hootch!" But it was no use, his lungs just didn't have any breath in them. His legs however still found a way to get themselves one in front of the other. Luckily for him, Madame Hootch was waiting for the team to come out before joining them on the pitch. "Madame Hootch!"

At the faint sound of her name, the wild haired woman turned around to see the sweaty plump of a boy running, or at this point, collapsing towards her. "Make it quick, Pettigrew. The game's starting."

Peter's mind told him to blurt out everything but his breath told him otherwise. "The...huh!...balls…hoo…they're…cah…cursed. Gotta…huh….do something."

"Kid, if this is some kind of practical joke then I'm not in the mood. I got a game to ref. But let me assure you that there is no way the balls could have been tampered with. I checked them personally before every match. Now run along and find your seat."  
"Pete?" Peter looked behind Madame Hootch joyfully as he saw James walk up to him, broom in hand. "What are you doing here? The game's gonna start."

"James! The balls are cursed. Me and Moony heard the Slytherins talking. You got to believe me!"

"Potter, I assure you that the balls are just fine. Now please get back to the pitch. I'm starting now. Mr. Pettigrew, if you do not get back to you seat, I'll be taking away House points. Away now, both of you!"

Peter was desperate now. "James, wait! They said something about a complication in the plan and uncursing and…and…a glitch! James, there was a glitch!" But at this point Hootch had ushered him off to the pitch. Peter stood at the edge of the stadium as he watched the players circle once around the field. He felt like he should be doing something as he watched the three balls fly into the air and the Quaffle shortly follow. How did this happen? Why did Remus rely on him? He of all people should know by now that Wormtail was completely useless.

* * *

The chants and cheers from the fans were almost too much for Sirius as he looked out to the sea of red and green. He stood in the center pitch with his team as they awaited the Slytherins to appear. He turned to James to see if he could believe it either but when he did so, James was nowhere to be seen. He turned around completely and looked through his teammates for the face that was usually right beside him. Then out of the corner of his eye he saw James standing on the side of the pitch talking to Madame Hootch and…Wormtail?

He just watched as Hootch shook her head and James ran back onto the pitch. "Prongs, what the hell is Wormtail doing?"

James just shook his head as he caught his breath. "He said…that the balls are cursed."  
"What!" Sirius exclaimed as the whistle blew to mount their brooms. "That's crazy even for Wormtail!"

"I know." James said. Sirius looked to his face and saw that he was really thinking hard about what he just heard. "But he said he was with Moony and they overheard that Slytherin lot talk about it."

Well, this was a whole different story if Moony could vouch for this. "Wait, where is Moony?"

But Sirius never got an answer as the whistle blew again and the balls were released into the air. Sirius took off instinctively before an answer came and James followed a second behind as his face still concentrating somewhere else.

The game was on. Sirius let the cheers carry him as the team shuffled the Quaffle across the field. In his mind, it was a normal game. If he just thought of it as one then he wouldn't let that orb of nerves in his chest get to him. Everything was riding on this one game. And to him it was a normal game until that very moment.

He heard the Bludger before he felt it but he felt it hard. Sirius choked his broom as he felt it spin about forcefully as the gasps of the crowd coincided. He shook his head once then looked around to see where the bloody hell his Beaters were supposed to be. A Slytherin Chaser flew past him though so he had no time to look. He quickly tailed the player but out of the corner of his eye he saw that the two Beaters were at work controlling the other Bludger that was attacking another Chaser and Gryffindor Captain, Monroe. Monroe was trying to break free but the Bludger was bouncing back and forth trying to hit him every time it passed. But if the Bludger was following him…

Sirius hardly had time to think as he heard the wind blow past his head. He tumbled once, then quickly recovered to see the Bludger making its way back. What in the bloody hell… Sirius thought as he tumbled to safety again. He could hear the boos and jeers coming from the crowd then a loud cheer from the other section as a goal was announced for Slytherin. The third Chaser, a skillful 2nd year but quite small when compared to the monsters of Slytherin, flew by Sirius with a small tear in her eye.

What the…Sirius flew up higher to where James was watching the scene unfold below him. "Prongs!" Sirius stopped his broom as James turned to face him. "What exactly did Wormtail tell you?" James' eyes grew wide. "He said—" Zoosh, another bludger flew by. The announcer stated another Slytherin goal. "Black, get your bushy broom back down here!" he heard Monroe call from below. Sirius looked towards James once more then said, "Keep sharp, mate."

Sirius dipped low in time to catch the Quaffle and started to fly towards the opposite end of the pitch. He dodged a Slytherin chaser but when he moved, the Quaffle jumped in his hands. He looked down and saw it jerk some more until it freed itself from his grip and fell down below him. "Black, what the hell are you doing?"

"But I—"

Damn, Wormtail was right, he thought as the Slytherins scored another goal. He snuck a look at where he saw Peter earlier but the area was empty. He quickly snapped his head back to the game and concentrated on the Quaffle. Merlin, help us all.

* * *

James looked down at the chaos that ensued below. Wormtail was right and right now there was nothing they could do about it. Okay, just think back to what he said. The balls were cursed. He and Moony heard the Slytherins. Well then where was Moony? He was a much quicker runner than Wormtail. Okay worry about him later, right now a Bludgers heading towards you.

James did a double take as he stopped his thought and let instinct take control. He had to keep doing that. The more time he spent thinking and the more he spent on locating the Snitch, the sooner this will all be over. But what if the Snitch was cursed too?

He heard cheers from below and looked down to see their keeper, Beck, make an amazing catch. The Quaffle, however, was squirming ever so subtly in his hands. It made have been hard to see the ball move, but Beck's struggle to hold it was quite obvious. He quickly let it loose to Sirius, who kept his arm locked on it during his journey to the goal. Sirius usually one to pass to teammates but this time he just kept his arm in place and his eyes ahead. Soon enough, James heard the announcer declare a Gryffindor goal. 30-10.

The game went on. James had no idea how Hootch was letting all the slips go even though they would be reviewed afterwards. If it wasn't too late then. He just hoped the team could last that long. The Gryffindors were fighting as best they could but an hour later the score stood at 120-30. James was their only hope now.

Just for a second, James looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Wilkes glaring over at him as he flew by with the Quaffle, a subtle but sinister smile on his face. Damn it.  
James searched the field with the Slytherin Seeker, Davis, quick in tow. He caught sight of the Snitch twice so far but it vanished before he could get to it. He had to concentrate on the game but he couldn't help but find himself searching his head for everything Peter said. He was yelling a few things out as James was walking away. But he couldn't hear them all. Did Peter say something about the Snitch?

No, it sounded like Snitch though. Pitch? James shook his head once and he searched again for the Snitch. What was the use though, it was probably charmed anyway. He was actually surprised it hadn't flown right into Davis's hand at this point.

Wait, why hadn't the Snitch done that? Right now it was the only ball that was working properly…

Glitch! That was it. The Snitch was the glitch! Maybe…Peter said the Slytherins talked of a glitch, this had to be it. James suddenly felt a burst of confidence flow through him. He was a much better Seeker than Davis and the game was all down to him now. He knew that he could do this. The Snitch hadn't been tampered with so he could win this easily. He thought of what Lily would say if she could hear his thoughts but maybe now, and probably only now, he needed to be full of himself.

And then he saw it. A golden glisten around the Gryffindor goalpost, mere meters from Beck. That was all James needed.

He swooped down low and circled once to the opposite post. Davis, being the complete git he was, surely followed. James heard the broadcaster announce his discovery. James kept his eyes forward, pretending the ball was in close sight. Then, with one glance back, he swerved a complete 180.

The move was much too quick for Davis to fully comprehend and he was taken aback to the point where he almost crashed to the ground. He stopped his broom in time and turned to follow but James was too far gone. James gripped harder on his broom handle as that gold light grew closer and closer. Behind him, the faint sound of a Bludger soaring through the air was approaching closer. He reached out further as the sound got closer and right before he felt the hit to the leg, he felt the small, solid substance of an object in his hand.


	4. Fame

James had no sooner landed his broom on the solid ground when he was hoisted up back into the air. The crowd had erupted and they could no longer be contained in the stadium. He looked around and saw the sea of red surround him with his teammates raised up beside him. Then it all hit James at once: the House Cup. They had won the House Cup! James raised the clutched Snitch into the air and the crowd erupted again.

Something in the back of his mind told James to be concerned but his heart was about to burst from his chest and he hadn't the faintest idea of what he should be concerned for. They had won the Cup! They defeated Slytherin! Wait until he saw old Snivelous…

Oh crap.

James looked through the crowd of screaming fans but even through the chaos, he couldn't find Moony or Wormtail. He screamed over to Sirius but the noise was too loud and Sirius was just screaming along with them. He finally looked over towards James and when he was his confused face, he tried to ask him what was wrong but the words were drowned within a foot of space.

As James looked around, he noticed that the crowd was taking them to the side of the pitch where Dumbledore was now standing on a platform, the Quidditch Cup at hand. One look at that cup and James forgot everything else. He let the crowd carry him towards it as he watched Monroe walk onto the platform to except it. Dumbledore spoke through an amplified voice but everything was flying around too quickly in James's head to be able to comprehend. All he needed to know was that Dumbledore had handed the Cup to Monroe and he lifted it high above his head in time to the crowd erupting even louder around them.

James and the rest of the team were taken off their high thrones and ran towards their Captain. The event was so unreal, James was sure he was dreaming. As the Cup was put into his hands something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Madame Hootch was off to the side of the celebration and with her was Avery, Snape, Wilkes, still in Slytherin uniform, Lestrange, and Bellatrix. Bellatrix looked up for a second and burned a hole through James before turning back and withstanding the reprimand Hootch was dealing to them. James looked next to them and saw a sight right behind the platform that made him surprised but also made him smile.

First in line was little Peter, who was so excited that James was 80% sure he peed himself. His face looked not only happy (understatement of the century) but also really relieved. Next to him, with his arms folded across his chest and a wide half smile across his face was Remus. James did a double take as he noticed a new black eye also on his face, but besides that Remus looked thrilled. And the greatest surprise was to the right of Remus and was no other than Lily Evans. Lily had her arm resting on Remus' shoulder and looked a little out of breath. James would have made more note of her contact with Remus if it hadn't been for the fact that she was staring right at him with the grandest smile he had ever seen. Did he just say grandest? Who the hell cared!

The next thoughts that James's mind hit him fast and hard. He looked around at the screaming fans and spectators around him and wondered for the first time what they were really excited about. Sure, he rode a broom and caught a ball. Somehow that had won him honor. Everyone knew that. He looked back towards his friends and his mind began to connect the pieces together.

Peter and Remus had managed to not only learn the Slytherin's scheme but warn him and Sirius in time to do something about it. Sure, he and the team played hard and were able to overcome the obstacle but what if he hadn't known about the Snitch Glitch? Or the cursed balls? The Slytherins were getting what they deserved now and their House would be disgraced. Remus and Peter caught the culprits and were able to find proof that brought them to justice.

But no one knew about that.

They knew James caught the Snitch and they knew that Gryffindor won the Cup that he was still clutching in his hands. They didn't know the part his friends made to help them win. James didn't even know all they went through but he knew that they put in as much will as he did. Moony even got a good shiner from it.

But no one would ever know what happened behind the game. They would continue to treat James and Sirius and everyone else as heroes without knowing what a hero really was. They acted based on only what they knew and left the rest behind.

* * *

James kept this thought in the back of his mind for the rest of the day as the nonstop celebration continued. Remus and Peter were escorted to the Headmasters Office and they weren't seen until later that night. The Gryffindor House had completely exploded into a party and James let himself enjoy it for a while. It wasn't until around 9 that he saw Moony and Wormtail make their way through the portal door.

"Guys!" James screamed through the crowd. He punched Sirius once on the shoulder before pushing his way through the crowd. "Guys, over here!"

The two acknowledged him and the Marauders walked over to some chairs in the corner where it was less noisy. Peter and Remus collapsed into them before Remus said, "Well lovely day, how bout you lot? Congratulations by the way."

"What the bloody hell happened, mates?" Sirius said without hesitation as he watched Remus clutch at his side when he shifted. "Moony, mate, you look more of a mess than usual."  
"I promise, I've survived worse."

"Well sure, but you usually do it to yourself. Now I can actually let some anger loose on whoever gave you that nasty shiner."

"I'm flattered really but wouldn't you rather hear the story?"

James listened as they told of the conversation they had overheard. Remus had hoped to stay and learn more before he got himself caught. Peter on the other hand, desperate to find someone who would listen to him, ran into the only person who would help him: Lily. She had arrived late to the game and was able to calm Peter down enough to hear the story. Lily had marched right up to Dumbledore in the faculty stand and demanded something was done before someone was seriously hurt. At that time, Remus had jinxed a few Slytherins and managed to get away. They had chased him back to the pitch when they realized it was time to unhex the balls. Lily had spotted Remus running towards them from the stands and ran down to him, Dumbledore and Professor Slughorn en tow. They were caught in the middle of the act when one of the Bludgers had been unhexed and Remus fell from exhaustion and two bruised ribs.

"Merlin," Sirius said leaning back in his chair as the story was finished. "They are absolutely mad. You two had quite a day."  
"Us?" Remus said. "Look at you two. You managed to fend off those rogue balls and still win the Cup. I know we missed it but you must have been brilliant! I mean, just look!"

James did look but out of all the people, he couldn't find the one that really mattered.

"Hey guys," Peter said for the first time. "I got use the bathroom." And before another word could be said about it he was gone.

They all thought about responding but decided not to question the thought process of Peter Pettigrew. "Ah well," Sirius said as he picked up a glass of Butterbeer. "What are we sitting around for? It's not every day we win the House Cup. Come on."

James watched as Remus and Sirius got up the join the celebration. "Hey Moony, you mind waiting up a sec." Remus nodded and cringed once more as he sat back down. "What's up, Prongs?" he said trying to mask the grimace.

"Look, mate. I sorta, well Padfoot and I, heard you and Lily talking the other night."

"James."  
"I know! It was wrong or whatever but I just wanted to ask—"

"—James—"

"—no just listen, I just—"

"We know."

There was a pause.

"What?"  
"We know you heard us. We've known since the first time you tried listening in. When you and Sirius shared a trip to the loo? And guess what mate. She wanted you to hear."

James sat there dumbfounded as a wide smile grew on Remus's face and he began to laugh. Then something caught his attention and turned his head towards the portal. James sat here for a second more before following his glance.

Lily Evans had just entered the Common Room and was shyly making her way towards them. Remus nodded his head and got up to leave. He patted James once on the back (which surprisingly set him stumbling forward), muttered, "Good luck, mate," and walked back to where Sirius and the rest of the House was partying.

The wheels started turning in James' head as Lily sat down across from him. "Hi," she said as she looked towards the floor. James could only sit there for a second and gawk. What should he say, what should he say? He looked up at her and lost his thoughts once more. "Would you like to talk? I mean, outside where it's…you know?"  
Lily smiled and looked up at him. "I would love that."

* * *

"What do you want, Wormtail?"

Peter looked up. "Can we talk somewhere?"

He slowly led the way to an empty classroom from outside the Headmasters Office. He kept his hands in his pockets and his face down as he turned around.

"That wasn't supposed to happen."

Snape chuckled to himself as he crossed his arms and stared the small boy down. "That, Wormtail, was _exactly_ what was supposed to happen."  
"You didn't tell me that!"  
"That's cause we weren't sure if we could trust you," Lestrange said as he wrapped an arm around Bellatrix. "We thought you were gonna run off and squeal the first chance you got."

"Which you did," Avery added. "But no hard feelings. We were planning on you doing that. Grant it, we didn't expect you to take so long to do so. You almost screwed the entire plan up."  
Peter looked up timidly at the group in front of him. "The dungbombs were a diversion, for the team and Hootch."

"Well looky here, the Worms got some brains in him after all. It's just unfortunate for you that your friend, that Lupin git, had to have more."

"You never said people were going to get hurt!"

"Look around you," Snape said as he stepped forward. "There is a war out there. People will die. If you don't have the guts to pull a prank during a game how can you be trusted during a battle?"

Peter looked down once more then straightened himself up. "You can trust me. I'm not going to be on the losing side. It's just my friends…"

"What friends?" Avery spat. "Those losers that treat you like crap? They may act like your bodyguards but just you wait. Once this war is in full bloom they'll be running and hiding to save their own skins. The Dark Lord can give you all the protection you need. But he doesn't take kindly to traitors."

Peter took one more look at the lot before him and took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm ready this time."

* * *

As Sirius sat by himself on the couch of 12 Grimwald Place, he looked out the window and wondered why he couldn't be a part of the people that walked by. It's a question he asked himself constantly when he was alone with his thoughts. He could physically walk outside but the second someone recognized him, he would be sent back to Azkaban. And that was what really got to him. People just didn't know. They were told by the Daily Prophet that he was a murderer and they were told that he was dangerous but not one of those people on that street out there knew what he did and didn't do. Most likely, no one would ever know. And people lived by these standards. They trusted their lives in what they think they know. They're willing to listen to the higher authority to tell them what they should know. Knowledge was power to people but corruption was irreversible. And the mob will die by the hands of what they're told they know.


End file.
